


Dead World

by dumbassunderthemountain



Category: The Hobbit (Jackson Movies), The Hobbit - All Media Types, The Hobbit - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: Alternate Universe - Zombie Apocalypse, F/M, Middle Earth, Zombie Apocalypse
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-06
Updated: 2020-09-06
Packaged: 2021-03-07 00:41:30
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,087
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26318104
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dumbassunderthemountain/pseuds/dumbassunderthemountain
Summary: Gandalf sneezes accidentally transporting Thorin to his one which wouldn’t be a problem if it weren’t for the fact that his one lived in a world undergoing a nuclear zombie apocalypse. The two must now travel across the apocalyptic wasteland in order to return Thorin to Middle Earth.Originally part of my Horror Anthology Series but I decided I didn't want a series inside of a series so the first chapter is there as well but all future chapters will be posted here
Relationships: Thorin Oakenshield & Reader, Thorin Oakenshield/Reader
Comments: 7
Kudos: 21





	1. Stop Sneezing

**Author's Note:**

> Gandalf needs to stop sneezing in fanfiction because this time his sneeze sent Thorin flying into another world, this world however is in the middle of a zombie apocalypse making the proceeding journey more dangerous than Thorin could ever imagine. There will be more bc I hate myself and keep imagining series to write.
> 
> Warnings: swearing, infection
> 
> A/N: I wrote a story kinda similar for Lyn’s Writing Event in May and have been sitting on the idea ever since so now I’m just kinda revamping it and got an idea to make it even better hopefully. I have never been fishing in my entire life, you may correct what I write about fishing.

The Company’s POV

“Thorin stop complaining. It was your stubbornness that led you into the hands of the trolls anyways. I had advised all of you to continue, yet you refused.” Gandalf quipped, still greatly annoyed with Thorin after their argument yesterday and then having to save their lives this morning. “Sometimes Thorin I think you want to be miserable.” Gandalf stated down at Thorin who only glared ahead. “I wonder if there is something I could do to change that” Gandalf mumbled under his breath.

“Wouldn’t count on it Mr. Gandalf!” Kili piped up from behind him, earning a growl from Thorin and a chuckle from Gandalf.

Just then Gandalf let out a large sneeze, blue light radiating out from around him and suddenly Thorin was gone. Gandalf stopped in his tracks, along with the rest of the company staring at the spot Thorin had been. “What did you do my uncle?” Kili nearly yelled at the wizard.

“I-I am not sure. I suppose I sent him somewhere he would be happier, that is what I had been thinking of, maybe I sent him to his one. I am sure that would help his mood considerably.”

“Well how do we get him back!?” Dwalin loudly growled as he angrily approached the wizard.

“We will have to go to Rivendell and seek the help of Lord Elrond.”

Dwalin growled at Gandalf again. “Seems like a way of tricking us into fraternizing with the elves.”

Balin stepped up putting a hand on his brother’s shoulder to calm him. “Now, now brother. Thorin is indeed nowhere to be seen, we must follow the wizard’s advice in order to ensure the safe return of our king.” The rest of the company nodded in agreement, Dwalin rolled his eyes gesturing for Gandalf to lead the way.

Reader POV

Day 426 of being alone. Completely alone. Was being completely alone truly better than death I’m not sure. But do sure as hell know that it’s better than being one of those nasty zombie things. I sat on a small row boat on the river waiting for a fish to bite. Based on all the fishing posters around here I bet there used to be more fish, maybe the fallout killed ‘em all. Not like it matters anymore. Just need my fish. I really don’t have the patience for this though but it sure as hell is safer to sit around in a boat all day than do anything on land really.

I felt a big tug on my line. Quickly I pulled up, this fish must be enormous. I finally got the massive fish into the boat. According to all the pamphlets strewn about this place this long eel looking tan fish was a pike or something like that. I call them evil long fish and that might as well be the name because there are no people left to correct me. One of the good things about being alone I get to make up whatever shit I want.

This fish was nearly two feet long, far too long to just dump in my fish cooler and let it suffocate. It’d flop right out of the boat. I did my best to slam the fish onto the floor of the boat and kneel on it in order to quickly chop off it’s head then dump its body into the cooler. If I salt this thing right I won’t have to fish for a week. Then I won’t have to feel so guilty leaving Sammy alone on the land. Sammy the adorable golden retriever who found me just as I was getting through the Rockies. No idea what happened to her owners all I know is that she was just as happy to find a companion in this mess as I was.

I began to row towards the shore when Sammy started barking like mad. I froze for a moment. I didn’t want to leave her, but I couldn’t fight off a hoard of zombies with a fishing pole, a fishing knife, and a rifle with only 4 bullets either. I paddled towards the shore as quickly as I could if I could get her in the boat and paddle away I would. She hated being in the boat but she understood it was better than being dead. She’s a smart pup.

Sammy was running around in a circle around someone...playfully? My brain could not comprehend what I was seeing at first. Literally thought Sammy had befriended a zombie or maybe a short wide tree. But no, that was in fact a person… a person holding a sword towards my fucking dog!

“Hey! What the fuck do you think you’re doing to Sammy?” I yelled from my boat still quickly paddling towards the shore.

They turned to look at me. “Get your dog to stop attacking me!” They yelled back in a deep voice, with a possibly British accent. The voice was much deeper than I had expected for someone of that height.  
“She’s being playful you asshole!” You said having finally reached the shore and picking up your rifle. “Sammy, come ‘ere”

Sammy ran toward you excitedly as if to say ‘look! Look! I found another person!’

The man lowered his sword and stepped closer. “I apologize. I was taken by surprise. Where am I if I may ask?”

“Uh, near Judith’s Landing. Where’d you come from?” I asked. I was still really pissed at him for holding a sword to the only friend I’d had in a year and nervous that he was evil and only wanted to hurt me, or was bitten, and that Sammy barking at him had attracted some zombies. There were a lot of things to worry about.

“I was just passing Trollshaws on the East Road. I am not familiar with Judith’s Landing. Is this Hoarwell or Loadwater?” The man asked. You thought you heard twigs snap in the trees and Sammy began to growl.

“Come on Sammy! Boat!” You said pushing it off from the water. The man turned alert towards the direction Sammy had growled but made no motion to move. You stood knee deep in the river expecting the man to follow, when he did not you made a rash decision. You didn’t want to be alone with only a dog anymore. “If you give me the sword you can get in the boat.”

“Why would I give you my sword?” The man growled.

“Whatever. Die on land then. Good luck finding another living person.” You called behind you carefully stepping in the boat.

The man looked between you and Sammy who was still growling and barking then back at the rustling trees. “Fine, but I want it back.” He said, wading into the river after you. He disgruntledly handed you his ridiculously large curved sword before climbing into the boat. Now you were paddling away as fast as you could.

One by one they began to emerge from the trees stumbling along as fast as their decaying bodies could. Growling and moaning at you as they attempted to wade into the water. Decaying flesh did tend to float, but they had no way of controlling their motions in the water making it much safer. The man stared at the zombies looking confused as more emerged from the trees. It looked like about a group of ten had come for me and my barking dog.

There weren’t many zombies in the park but there were still some. One of the benefits of camping out in a rural Montana park. Lots of natural resources and very few people. Exactly what I needed for a zombie apocalypse.

“What are those things?” The man asked looking at the rabid creatures on the shore. It wasn’t until now I got a good look at him. He was short and looked like he may be muscular under all that old fashioned armor? That’s weird, but it is the apocalypse. Why not dress in whatever fun weird way you want. If I could get a hold of the outfits Mila Jovovich wore in those Resident Evil movies I’d never take them off, assuming they’d fit, I’m definitely not a Ukranian supermodel. But to not know what those zombies were? What the fuck?

“What do you mean what are those? Where have you been for the last two and a half years? Those are zombies.” I said, gesturing towards them. Now that we were in the deep middle of the river rowing quickly wasn’t a massive concern. The zombies’ noses didn’t seem to smell over water very well and I swore they were nearly blind so there was little chance we’d be followed.

“I have never heard of a… zombie before.” The man said. “You never told me which river this is.” He said looking around.

“Is that what you were asking before? It’s the Missouri, we’re at some monument national park place. And once again how have you not dealt with zombies before? What do you think killed the world?” He must be in denial; it's the only explanation. I went a little crazy and started talking to myself and to Sammy… and for Sammy like I’m Kristoff with Sven from Frozen. But this guy straight up forgot what zombies were! How is he staying alive?

“Missouri?” He questioned in an angry voice. I leaned back grabbing my knife in case his anger escalated. “I have never heard of such a river.” His eyes flicked down to my hand. “I do not wish to harm you but will if you come any closer to me with that knife.” He said in a low voice.

“It’s instinct against angry strange men. Deal or get out of my boat.” I forcefully said back, never breaking eye contact.

The man grunted at this response. “I apologize. You are right to have your suspicions of me. I just do not know where I am. I was arguing with a wizard and now I am here. I only wish to get back to my company… safely” He finished turning to look at the zombies.

So a wizard sent him here? From troll land or whatever he said...and I thought the apocalypse had driven me crazy. “Riiight. A wizard. Okay. Whatever gets you through I guess.”

“You do not believe me?” He said, the anger rising slightly in his voice, but he seemed to be doing his best to control it.

“That you were walking near trolls and suddenly a wizard sent you here. No, I don’t believe you. Honestly if you didn’t look so healthy I’d say you were in the delusion stage of infection.”

“Infection with what?”

“Zombie virus. Basically a really bad mix of rabies and leprosy. Those things used to be just like us until they got bitten you know.” I was frustrated with the entire situation. I had wanted to not be alone anymore but some delusional dude that couldn’t remember what a fucking zombie was was not what I had had in mind.

The man just stared at the zombies as they disappeared from view. “Allow me” He suddenly said, gesturing to the oars. I handed them to him. I figured he’s probably safe enough to let paddle. I was still the one with all the weapons after all. “My name is Thorin. What is yours?” He said with a small smile clearly trying to break the tension.

“(y/n) and this is Sammy.” I said pointing back at the golden retriever who had taken to curling up at the end of the boat, miserable.”

Thorin continued to paddle for an hour in silence. I talk to myself constantly but now that there’s someone here with me, and a rather attractive someone I was at a complete loss for words. Thorin didn’t exactly seem like the talkative type anyways. But I wanted to break the silence. I wanted to finally talk to someone. I had been going over this in my head so many times that I nearly missed the docking point to head up the cabin I’d been living in.

“Stop here at the shore.” I pointed towards the bank. Thorin bowed his head and paddled toward the shore. Sammy jumped out of the boat the second we were remotely close to the bank quickly dog paddling her way to land. Thorin and I got out closer to the bank and he pulled the boat onto the shore with an ease I could not have imagined for someone his size. I leaned in and grabbed my fish cooler and weapons staring at Thorin unsure what to do. Do I lead him to my cabin? He said he was with a company. “Umm you said something about going back to your company?”

Thorin took a deep breath. “I did. But I do not know where I am. Clearly I am nowhere near the East Road and somehow in a land with gruesome creatures I have never heard of, and I have travelled often. That cursed wizard.” He added under his breath.

“I, uh, got some maps at my cabin. Maybe one of those could help? You can stay there until you figure it out… or I kick you out.” I smirked.

“I would be grateful for the help.” He said with a slight bow of the head.

I shoved the heavy cooler with my massive fish in it towards him. “Carry this then.”

“Do i get my sword back?” He grunted as the cooler landed in his arms.

“Not yet. Plus I’ve never really held a sword before. I feel pretty cool right now.” I joked. Thorin smiled after me as we walked up to the cabin.


	2. Oh Great! Hope! Ugh

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gandalf with the help of Lady Galadriel discovers a way to communicate with Thorin telling him and reader what he must do to return

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not fic related but I just watched Train to Busan for the first time and I gotta say, it’s the best zombie movie I’ve ever seen. It’s the first horror movie I’ve ever seen that made me want to cry, the characters are so good.

\---Company’s POV

“What is the trouble, Mithrandir?” Lady Galadriel asked as she descended the stairs towards the Company. She had only planned to be in Rivendell long enough to meet with the White Counsel but as Gandalf approached she sensed that something was very wrong.

“Ah! Lady Galadriel I did not know you would be here! What a pleasant surprise! This is the company of Thorin Oakenshield.” Gandalf gestured back to the remaining company to introduce them. 

Galadriel looked closely at each member before turning back to Gandalf, “And where is this Thorin Oakenshield? Their minds tell me he is lost to you?”

“Well, yes he is. You see I was thinking about how to make him happier when I let out a terrible sneeze and he was gone. Poof! I was rather hoping, since you are here that you could help us find him.”

While Galadriel did not fully support Gandalf’s plan to reclaim the mountain from Smaug, leaving the quests leader and the heir to the line of Durin lost did not seem wise. “Very well. I brought a pitcher of water from my mirror. I felt I would be needing it. It would seem I was correct. Lord Elrond do you have a place where we could use it?”

“Yes, follow me.” Lord Elrond answered, leading everyone up the stairs and to his library and out onto the balcony. In it’s center there was a stone table. Lord Elrond grabbed a shallow silver basin from one of his many shelves placing it on top of the table. “Will this suffice?” He asked Galadriel who nodded in response. 

The company surrounded the table waiting. Galadriel approached slowly pouring the water into the basin. “This mirror may show you many different things. You cannot fully control what is seen in the mirror-”

“Then what will it show us?” Kili impatiently asked. 

“…things that were… things that are… and some things…that have not yet come to pass. Show me Thorin Oakenshield.” She compelled the mirror. 

The water stilled and grew dark before lightening again, shapes forming in the water. The mirror showed Thorin defensively pointing his sword towards a barking dog along with a woman on a boat pointing something at him, then the dog starting to growl towards the woods causing the woman to grab the dog and go further into the water with Thorin following a few seconds later, creatures that look like rotting corpses came growling after the pair as they rowed deeper into the water. The Company looked around at each other confused. 

The image in the mirror changed to Thorin and the woman from before sitting on a couch talking and laughing. It was the first time in a long time anyone had seen Thorin laugh like that. The mirror changed again to them sitting on opposite ends of the boat with fishing lines hung over the edge while scanning the land. “I believe this is the present.” Galadriel stated.

The mirror changed one last time showing the pair running through strange looking ruins, eyes filled with terror and screaming as Thorin brandished his sword and the woman shot at something that could not be seen. The decaying creatures from the first vision began to appear again, this time there was a sea of them. Far too many for the pair to fight off, but fight they did until they were so surrounded by the decaying creatures that the company lost sight of them, the mirror suddenly turning back to black. 

Galadriel continued to stare deeply into the mirror, not looking up she spoke. “Thorin Oakenshield is no longer in Middle Earth.” To everyone except Elrond and Gandalf Galadriel seemed completely emotionless and unmoved by the vision, but Elrond and Gandalf could tell she was surprised and worried.

“Where bloody else could he be?!” Dwalin angrily yelled, scowling between her and Gandalf. 

“I do not know. But we must bring them here. They are in great mortal peril.” 

“They? The lass is from there, why would she come here?” Dwalin barked. 

“Because from what I understand of dwarves, they would never leave their ones in such great danger.” Galadriel stated, now making eye contact with Dwalin. “If Thorin is truly still near the water then I believe there may be an incantation I can use to speak with him.”

\---Readers POV

It had been over two weeks since I had found Thorin pointing a sword at Sammy on the banks of the river. He claimed to be a dwarf of Erebor, chased out by a dragon and on a quest to reclaim his homeland. I still didn’t fully believe him. I believe those things happened to him but that the dragon was actually the nukes that destroyed nearly every major city on the planet in an attempt to kill the zombies, and that the orcs were actually zombies. I believed his mind had invented this high fantasy background to help cope with the terrible trauma that happened to him and that now he was beginning to see things as they actually were. I wanted to believe him cause then there was hope of another world to escape to. But if there was one thing I learned during this whole apocalypse nonsense, it was to never have hope. Problem was that Thorin did give me hope, for the first time in over a year. Not for leaving this place to go to some high fantasy world but for a sliver of happiness, for companionship, and for...love?

I was never really the romantic type but Thorin was something else I felt drawn to him since the first time we sat in the boat together. The logical part of my brain was telling me that it was just because I was so lonely, and in all honesty it probably was, but so what? I still enjoyed the time I spent with him. He had a funny dark sense of humor, was a fantastic story teller, was drop dead gorgeous, incredibly kind and sincere, and most probably importantly not dead or a zombie. 

I was definitely nervous around him at first. How could I not be? He was a strange, scowling, angry man when I met him. Granted he was confused and lost, I wouldn’t have been in a good mood either if I believed I had been suddenly sent to some random place in Montana by a wizard. It didn’t help that he could not recognize a single place on the map. I pulled out the whole atlas for him so that he could at least get the general area he had been in, not the road itself but he didn’t recognize a single place in the world. He drew me a partial map of the Middle Earth he said he was from. It looked kinda like a fat badly drawn Europe to me but he insisted that they were different. 

After not finding anything familiar on the maps Thorin grew to be rather hopeless for a few days. He didn’t talk much and had no interest in doing much of anything besides staring at the river through the window. We didn’t go outside unless necessary. It was safer inside with a wall between us and any passing zombies. Thorin slowly warmed up to Sammy and I though, granted it’s impossible to not love Sammy, she’s a barking ray of sunshine. Me on the other hand, well I was shy, a bit rough around the edges, and after a year and a half of isolation a little crazy but Thorin did not seem to mind. At first he started to help around the place without being asked, volunteering to get water, etc. Then it changed to him actually talking to me and telling me stories of his nephews’ idiotic pranks and well known stories from his homeland, then came the jokes just a few days ago.

We now sat at opposite ends of the row boat staring out into the landscape lost in thought waiting for a fish to bite. Sammy was curled up next to Thorin’s feet, she had really taken to him. It was easy to see that Thorin wasn’t exactly an animal person but was very flattered by how much Sammy liked him. I leaned against the edge of the boat staring blankly down into the water wishing for a nap when the reflection in the water began to change. 

There was a circle of white instead of the greenish blue of the rest of the river. For a moment I thought it was the sun but when I looked up I realized that the sun was far to the other side of the boat, it was getting late. When I looked back down into the water there was a beautiful blonde haired woman staring back at me. So now I’m hallucinating. Great! 

“Where is Thorin Oakenshield?” The woman asked, her voice smoothe and calming. 

Thorin was suddenly moving across the boat towards me. “I am right here. Who are you?” He answered leaning over the side of the boat to look at her. 

I looked between the two of them whispering to Thorin, “Holy fucking shit! You can see her too!?” Thorin looked at me with concern before putting a hand on my shoulder in reassurance giving me a small smile and nodding. 

An old man with big bushy eyebrows and a long beard with grey blue pointy hat appeared beside the blonde woman in the bright circle in the water. “Ah! Good to see you Thorin. Are you doing well?”

“Gandalf.” Thorin growled. 

My head shot up, “Like the wizard that sent you here Gandalf?!”

“Do you believe me now?” 

I nodded, “Yeah, a little.”

The old man or wizard I guess looked annoyed at our little side conversation. “Thorin listen to me, you are in great mortal danger. You both must get out of there as soon as possible. Are there any wizards or people practiced in magic nearby?”

“There’s no magic here.” I informed Gandalf.

“None at all? Well I’m sure that’s impossible. There must be some?”

“If there is I’ve never heard of it and there sure as hell aren’t any wizards walkin’ around.”

Gandalf furrowed his brow and disappeared from view. The pretty blonde lady came back. “There may still be a way for you to return.”

“And who are you?” Thorin asked, he sounded bitter, I wondered why this lady was so calming to listen to. 

“I am Lady Galadriel of Lothlorien.”

“Fucking elves.” Thorin growled quietly. I was really confused now, what could possibly be so bad about these elves. In all the stuff I’d seen (except that one Thor movie) elves were nice and helpful and all in tune with nature when they weren’t making toys. 

“You need to get to the oldest city. There is magic in memory. Through the history and memory of the city I believe that we will be able to open a gate through which you can return.”

“Um, what exactly do you mean by ‘oldest city’? Like the first one to ever exist? The one that’s had people in it the longest? It can be deserted right? Cause there aren’t any more cities.” I asked, for a second I stupidly had hope but if it needed to be an inhabited city that people still lived in we were fucked. 

“What do you mean there’s no more cities?!” A young man with shoulder length brown hair and a sparse beard popped into the circle.

“Kili” Thorin warned. So this was his rambunctious prankster nephew he talked about so much good to know. 

“Oh, Hi! I’m (y/n) Thorin’s told me all about you! But all the cities are deserted or holes in the ground. Thorin was quite literally the only living person I’ve seen in a year and half.” Both Kili and Galadriel’s eyes widened in surprise at what I told them. 

“And Uncle’s the company you got? Ha! You have to come here for some much better looking and funnier company!” Kili exclaimed, making me laugh. Thorin growled his warning again and someone seemed to pull Kili from view. 

Lady Galadriel spoke again now that the interruption was gone. “The first city to have existed in your world should do.”

There was that spark of hope again! Aaannnd there it went the moment I remembered that the first city was catalhoyuk...in Turkey. Quite literally on the other side of the world, and I was no pilot, or sailor. We’d have to walk it, maybe drive if we could find a car but gas had been scarce before, there was little hope of finding a full tank now. We’d have to walk across the whole fucking planet in the middle of a nuclear zombie apocolypse. And that’s why hope is a bad idea!

“(y/n) where is that? How soon can we be there?” Thorin asked.

I stared at him for a few seconds not wanting to answer. “Catalhoyuk...We can’t get there.”

His brow furrowed, “Why not?”

“It’s too far away. We’d have to go thousands of miles north, wait for the Bering Strait to freeze in the winter, hope we can survive that kind of winter and then somehow make it across the whole of Asia. It’s impossible and it’d probably take...few years maybe.”

Thorin’s face fell. “Years?” 

“We’d be walking like ten thousand miles I’d guess.”

Thorin nodded solemnly. “I must try. I will leave in the morning.”

“What no! You’d never make it. I meant we should not go. Don’t leave me alone again.” I pleaded. The idea of Thorin leaving me alone again to go on some grand quest was...well at this point I think I’d honestly rather be a zombie. 

“(y/n) I must return home. I am their king. They need me.”

I nodded. “Fine. But I’m coming with you then, but we leave in three days and we’ll die somewhere along the way together.” 

“Have hope, my child.” The wizard piped in. 

“One I ain’t your kid. Two hope is a very very stupid thing to have.” I heard snickers coming from around the wizard. 

Thorin used a commanding voice I had never heard from him before. He sounded truly kingly. “We will go to this city. It is not a guaranteed success. In fact far from it, but we will try, just as our company is trying to reclaim Erebor before all of this. Fili, Kili, Balin, Dwalin. You must continue to lead the company to Erebor. My departure has already delayed you a fortnight. I will not have this quest delayed any longer. You must continue the quest at once, without me.”

A whited haired man with a large nose and a long beard strangely split and flipped out at the end leaned into the image. “Thorin? You have been gone but two hours.”

Thorin and I looked at each other more confused than ever. “Balin...I can assure you I have been here for over two weeks...Gandalf!” He barked, he really is not a fan of that wizard right now. “How is this possible?”

“I haven’t the faintest idea. But it does seem that time moves differently there. Which is a relief. We will stay in Rivendell for a few days and you should be back by then. This is very good news indeed. I wish you the best of luck.” Gandalf backed out of view.

Galadriel came back. “In Rivendell I only have limited use of my mirror. I will keep watch over you but this is the last we will speak until you reach the city.”  
Thorin nodded. “Very well then.”

Kili from earlier leaned back into the image along with a blonde man roughly the same age with a braided mustache. They both waved. “Goodbye Uncle! Good luck! See you in a few years, enjoy smooching your one!” Kili yelled. Someone pulled them away barking at them in another language. Thorin looked confused, and was blushing profusely for some reason. 

“We all wish you the best of luck. Fair well.” Galadriel said, then the water turned back to the blue shade it had been before.

“The fuck’s a one?” I asked after staring into the now blank water for a few moments processing everything. 

“It’s uhhh,” Suddenly one of the fishing poles began to jerk. “Oh good a fish!” Thorin exclaimed, very happy for the distraction. 

My mind travelled back to the discussion...with the people in the river. God the apocalypse was weird. In three days we’d leave our little safe refuge with everything we needed to attempt to cross the world...for hope. God damn stupid hope. But also it’s not like I had literally anything better to do.


End file.
